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Mind Matters – Week 2 – I Don’t Fit InMessage Big Idea: You belong.Scripture: Romans 12:4-5, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27Introduction(Series Graphic) To begin today, I want you to think back to a joyful experience in your life. Don’t overthink it, it doesn’t have to be an over-the-top-I-won-the-lottery kind of experience. Just bring to mind a time when you remember feeling joy.When I thought about it, one of the first things that popped into my mind was celebrating my birthday with my family in February of 2018. A friend of a friend let us borrow their lake house in Michigan, and so we met up there for a long weekend. My birthday happened to fall during the winter Olympics, which my family loves, and there was this moment when the seven of us were all curled up under blankets on this giant sectional couch in the family room cheering on the USA. In that moment, I just felt joy. Joy being with the people I love in an environment that was a gift losing ourselves in the excitement of the games.I’m not sure what came to mind for you, but I think it’s likely that your experience of joy involved people whom you love too. Most joyful experiences in our lives are tied to relationships in some way. The reason for this is that we were made for connection. Something deep inside of us feels right when we are experiencing something we enjoy with people we love.Honestly, that’s one reason this season of social distancing and quarantine has been so difficult. We weren’t made to live like this. Many of us feel locked in, some of us alone or in very stressful conditions. So many of the normal human interactions that typically rejuvenate us are now unavailable. We miss doing stuff with people! Like, I even miss working out with other people at the gym…which is odd because I’ve been quarantining from the gym for several years now.For many of us, this season has heightened a sense of loneliness and isolation. And because we were made for connection, feeling lonely and isolated can be some of the most painful experiences a human being faces.Listen, if you’re feeling that way, I get it. I live alone and there have been days in this season where the sense of isolation has really gotten to me. However, the reality is that many of us felt that way even before the pandemic. Back in January, the health insurer Cigna released a study that found that (More than 3 in 5 Americans describe feeling alone.) more than three in five Americans report feeling left out, poorly understood, and lacking companionship. I have to believe that number has only gone up over these past six months.Feeling disconnected from others can leave us believing a lie: “I don’t fit in.” And not only can this sense of isolation be painful, it also can be a major factor in depression.Series RecapWe’re going to spend some time talking about depression today as we continue in our series (Series Graphic) “Mind Matters” because we believe that God cares when we’re struggling with our mental health. In his Gospel, Matthew records these words of Jesus:“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” -Matthew 22:37Heart, soul, and mind. God cares about our entire being – physical, spiritual, and mental. And yet, talking about mental health is so difficult for so many of us. That’s why we’re doing this series. Our goal over these four weeks is to break the silence and remove the stigma, so that we can find the help we need to live with hope for the future. We All StruggleWe all need that hope because every one of us, in one way or another, struggles. We all experience hard times. Jesus told us this would be true when he said:“In this world you will have trouble…” -John 16:33Feeling down, sad, or blue is a normal part of life. It always will be in an imperfect world. And we all adopt coping strategies to manage our sadness. If I’ve learned one thing about myself over these past six months it’s that I have a “go to” coping strategy when I’m feeling sad. You want to know what it is? Amazon Prime. In fact, I kid you not… When I was writing this talk as soon as I typed those words I got distracted remembering I was going to order furnace filters and I jumped right on over to Amazon. How desperate am I that even ordering furnace filters can seem exciting?We all experience sadness, however, many of us will face times in our lives where our usual strategies for coping don’t seem to be working. This can lead to a struggle with depression. Depression isn’t just a bad day or stretch of feeling blue, depression is when I feel so down I can’t function.An estimated 17.3 million adults in the United States have had at least one major depressive episode. The prevalence of adults struggling with depression is highest among those age 18-25. And during this pandemic, there is already evidence that those numbers are on the rise.One of the most dangerous aspects of depression is that it tends to feed isolation. A depressed person tends to withdraw from society. This can lead the people around them to view them as distant and disinterested. And the resulting disconnect only reinforces the narrative: “I don’t fit in.” So when we feel this way, what should we do? Well, I’m not an expert on this stuff, but I’m grateful that we have experts who are willing to help. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Doug McKinley. Doug is a Clinical Psychologist who now works with organizations as an Executive Leadership Coach. Here is my conversation with Doug about depression…Mental Health Interview: DepressionThe Truth About You: You Belong(Series Graphic) If you are struggling today and recognize some of what you are feeling in Doug’s words or Latoya’s story, I hope you will take the step to reach out. In fact, we’ve put together a website with resources to help you on your mental health journey. You can find it at . Your mental health matters and my prayer today is that you will find the help you need to live with hope for the future.But before we wrap this up, let me speak to all of us about what it means to walk through this challenging time together as a community of Christ-followers.The dominant metaphor for the church community in the New Testament is that of a body with Christ as the head. Listen to these words of Paul:“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” -Romans 12:4-5In Christ, we belong to each other. Which means you belong. I belong. We belong. In a similar passage, Paul elaborates saying:“God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” -1 Corinthians 12:18-19If COMMUNITY is your church home, know that God has placed you in this body. You belong here. You are a valuable part of this community.If you are struggling today, I want you to know that it’s OK to not be OK. We all go through those times. Even if all you can do right now is show up online in a small group or type hello in the chat during the service, You belong. You are part of this body. A valuable part. We need you.And if you are doing alright today, I want you to recognize that you have a part to play in caring for others in this body. In fact, Paul goes on to say this about the members of the body:“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” -1Corinthians 12:26Think about your physical body. If part of your body is hurting, say, for example, you break your arm, you don’t cut off your arm. No! You splint it and take care of it until it is healed. As the body of Christ, we are to care for the parts that are hurting. We are to offer belonging to one another even if all some of our parts can do is be present. You are a part of this body. A valuable part. We need you.ChallengeSo here’s how I want to challenge us today…(Reach out for help. -include the website) First, again, if you need help, please reach out and get help. Visit to discover some of the resources available to you. Your mind matters, and so take a step today to find the help you need to live with hope for the future.Second, we all need reminders that we belong. So I’d like to challenge every person to do something this week. Whether through text, phone call, or email, (Reach out to 3 people.) reach out to three people this week just to let them know you are thinking about them and you value them. Maybe it’s someone in your small group. Maybe it’s someone you’ve served with on a ministry team. Just reach out to 3 people. And if you feel comfortable, maybe even make plans to safely meet together.ConclusionBecause we will all go through hard times, and this season has had its fair share of them. But this I know to be true with all my heart: you are never alone. We belong to each other, and we belong to the one who has promised:“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” -Hebrews 13:5Wherever you are, God is there with you. May his Spirit fill you with love, peace, and hope. May you find joy today in his presence. ................
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